All basketball fans love to see the best athletes facing each other. In 2009, the two most popular NBA players played almost in the finals. LeBron James won the Player of the Year award that year and carried the Cleveland Cavaliers with 66-15. He averaged 28.4 points, 7.2 assists and 7.6 rebounds per game that year. Arguably the best player ever, LeBron James had the opportunity to face Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, but he had to pass Dwight Howard’s Orlando Magic in the Eastern Finals to get there. ..
The series played six games, but unfortunately for basketball fans, the Cavaliers were knocked out of the playoffs. King James did ballistics and scored 49 points in Game 1, 41 points in Game 3, and 44 points in Game 4, but the Cavaliers were simply unmanned. The second best Cavaliers player of the year was Mo Williams. This is all you need to know. Orlando Magic was a solid team. They had an internal presence that the Cavaliers didn’t have, and there were archers throughout their roster. JJ Redick, Hedo Turkolu and Jameer Nelson were there to knock down the Cavaliers whenever they decided to be a Dwight Howard double team.
There are two main reasons why this was the most entertaining final match ever.
1) LeBron James and Kobe Bryant both participated in PRIMES
Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are recognized as the top players in the game. Lebron won the MVP in 2009, but just behind him was Kobe Bryant, who won the second most votes. These two players are one of the most popular players in history. They both have a fair share of the hardware and are respected by the millions of people who would have missed a matchup.
See their incredible highlights from the 2008-09 season:
2) Fans wanted a match
Here are some examples:
Lebron and Kobe faced each other early in the 2008-09 season and were spectacular showcases from each. Again, in the midst of an MVP battle, each player was trying to claim who deserved it. Check it out below:
